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Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

Home » Tips » Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

Published April 17, 2019 Last Updated June 15, 2020 / By Jessica 181 Comments

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This homemade liquid laundry detergent is the best homemade laundry detergent ever! Save money on detergent without sacrificing quality!

gallon jug of diy liquid laundry detergent in a blue laundry hamper filled with clothesWe are so excited to share this DIY liquid laundry detergent recipe with you today. After a lot of trial and error, I feel confident I’ve found the best homemade laundry detergent recipe. We have actually tried homemade laundry detergent recipes twice before this one, and neither impressed me. In full disclosure, my first two attempts were for dry laundry detergent.

Why I Choose Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

I had almost given up on homemade laundry detergent completely, when my good friend Keesha texted me and said she had a recipe and wanted to make it together! I had my doubts, but she told me her mom and her sister had both been using this kind forever and swore by it, so I decided I would give it a go. Holy cow. I am in love with this homemade liquid laundry detergent, it is AMAZING!

Every time I open up the washer to switch loads, I am filled with joy because it smells fresh and clean. It also doesn’t leave gross residue, and gets out tough dirt and stains. Suffice it to say, this recipe is gonna shrink your laundry expenses considerably! 

Since everyone has to do laundry, here are a few of our other popular laundry related posts! Free Printable Laundry Cheat Sheet is great for remembering what gets out what stain! These DIY Laundry Organization Bags are the cutest for storing laundry during the week, and everyone should know How to Clean your Washing Machine.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Best Homemade Laundry Detergent

You ready for the easy recipe? 

diy liquid laundry detergent ingredients

DIY Liquid Laundry Detergent Ingredients

  • Fels-Naptha soap bar
  • Washing soda
  • Borax
  • Essential oils (optional)
  • Water

grated felt naphtha soap bar

After gathering your ingredients you will start by grating your Fels-Naptha soap bar. Here is what the Fels-naptha soap looked like after grating it.  You want to use the smallest grater that you have, so that it melts as quickly and easily as possible!Boiling water to make liquid laundry detergent! While you are grating your soap start four cups of water boiling. 

melting fels naphtha bar on stoveAdd your grated Fels-Naptha bar and stir over medium heat until soap is completely melted. 

filling a 5 gallon bucket with waterNext, fill your five gallon bucket up halfway with hot tap water. 

adding dry laundry detergent ingredients to five gallon bucketThen add your other dry ingredients and stir together. 

adding water to a 5 gallon bucket of liquid laundry soapFinally, fill your bucket the rest of the way with hot water and stir again. 

5 gallon bucket that said "liquid laundry detergent" in blue vinyl

Be sure to clearly label your containers so that everyone knows they contain a detergent. Also, if you have young children be sure to keep your laundry detergent in a childproof container or on a high shelf. Here is the gallon jar I used, and here is a good five gallon bucket! I also love this gamma seal lid! 

How much liquid laundry detergent does this recipe make? 

This recipe makes a 5 gallon tub of liquid detergent.  You only need 1/2 cup detergent for top loader machines and 1/4 for front loader machines per load! It’s easy to see how utilizing homemade laundry detergent can add up to a big savings! 

close up of laundry detergent on top of a hamper of dirty clothes

Shop this Post: 

Gallon Jug

5 Gallon Bucket

Gamma Seal Lid

 

If you make this recipe and like it we would love for you to leave us a comment and a positive rating, they mean so much to us!

Easy DIY liquid laundry detergent! I love this stuff, and it will save you so much laundry on detergent!

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

How to make Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent. This is so easy, the batch lasts a long time and is cheaper than any store-bought detergent!
4.87 from 15 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Active Time: 5 minutes
Resting Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 25 minutes
Makes: 5 gallons
Author: Pretty Providence
Cost: $20

Video

Equipment

  • 5 gallon bucket

Materials

  • 4 cups boiling water
  • 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
  • 1 cup washing soda
  • 1/2 cup Borax
  • essential oils (optional)
  • 5 gallon bucket

Instructions

  • Heat 4 cups of water until boiling.
    Boiling water to make liquid laundry detergent!
  • Grate your Fels-Naptha soap bar (I just used a cheese grater) and add to boiling water. Stir continuously over medium low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
    grated felt naphtha soap bar
  • Fill your 5 gallon bucket half full with HOT tap water, add melted soap, washing soda, and borax and stir well until all powder is dissolved.
    fill your bucket with water
  • Fill the bucket the rest of the way to the top with hot water, stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken.
    laundry soap add water
  • The next day, stir well and fill an old laundry detergent container with detergent.If desired, add your essential oils at this point! I use Doterra citrus bliss.
    Easy DIY liquid laundry detergent! I love this stuff, and it will save you so much laundry on detergent!

Notes

  • Shake well before each use, because detergent can separate a bit.
  • Top load machines use 1/2 cup per load, front load machines use 1/4 cup per load.
  • Here is the gallon jar I used, and here is a good five gallon bucket! 
Did you make this?Mention @prettyprovidenceblog or tag #prettyprovidence!

It’s SO easy and SO worth it you guys! I can guarantee you’re gonna be glad you tried this DIY liquid laundry detergent!

xo,

 

*This post was originally written September 1, 2014 and has been updated with new photos, video and more detailed text. 

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Comments

  1. Mikala

    March 28, 2023 at 8:52 pm

    I’m new to this ! I put the essential oils in when I put all the other ingredients in will it be okay??

    Reply
    • Jessica

      March 29, 2023 at 2:06 pm

      Yes, it should be fine!

      Reply
  2. Laura

    March 22, 2023 at 10:18 am

    Do you have a recommendation of how many drops of essential oils to add?

    Reply
    • Jessica

      March 29, 2023 at 2:11 pm

      Just totally personal preference but I add around 10 for all the gallons.

      Reply
  3. Amy Faulkner

    March 18, 2023 at 1:25 pm

    How much do you think you use for essential oils? The whole bottle for the whole 5gals?

    Reply
    • Jessica

      March 29, 2023 at 2:14 pm

      I do like 10 or 15 drops, but you can add more or less whatever you prefer!

      Reply
  4. Jayne

    March 04, 2023 at 7:44 am

    The smell of the bar soap was super strong and chemically in the kitchen when I was melting it down in the water. I wonder if it’s safe to melt down indoors?

    Reply
  5. Mayra

    March 01, 2023 at 12:27 am

    How good is it on dark color fabrics? Does it fade the colors?

    Reply
    • Jessica

      March 07, 2023 at 1:32 pm

      Not at all! Works great on any color.

      Reply
  6. Rachel

    February 19, 2023 at 3:28 pm

    Making this tonight! Do you put this in the detergent dispenser or the drum of a front load machine?

    Reply
    • Jessica

      February 28, 2023 at 12:49 pm

      I use the detergent dispenser, but either would work fine!

      Reply
  7. SHEILA Moon

    January 21, 2023 at 10:21 am

    How much of each ingredient do you use?

    Reply
  8. Cat

    December 23, 2022 at 3:02 pm

    I just made this for the first time. I grated the soap bar in a food processor to very fine grain and heated on the stove for awhile but it never fully dissolved. Is this common?

    Reply
    • Jessica

      December 30, 2022 at 2:30 pm

      Mine always dissolves, you may need to up the heat a little?

      Reply
  9. Becky

    November 26, 2022 at 6:26 am

    Is this recipe safe for HE washers?

    Reply
    • Jessica

      November 29, 2022 at 11:48 am

      Yes, absolutely.

      Reply
  10. Rasheal

    November 15, 2022 at 9:30 am

    I made this yesterday, followed the recipe other than used zote bc thats what i had on hand and even after stirring its like jello, how can I fix this?

    Reply
    • Sarah

      November 15, 2022 at 3:25 pm

      That’s a bummer, I don’t know how to fix that!

      Reply
    • Allyson

      December 16, 2022 at 8:27 am

      I’ve has the same recipie come out like jello too. I just diluted the batch with enough extra water so that it was scoopable. Ends up being like runny jello. I just use a little extra in the machine. More like a cup for a full load, maybe extra if you have giant loads.

      Reply
  11. Dora

    October 15, 2022 at 1:35 pm

    5 stars
    I have been making this for three no problems at all, I just made my second 5 gallon bucket! I love making my own laundry soap!

    Reply
  12. Liz B

    September 29, 2022 at 9:54 am

    How long can the detergent stay in the 5 gallon bucket? Will it separate in the bucket?

    Reply
    • Jessica

      October 02, 2022 at 11:40 am

      It never “expires” but will become less efficient over long periods of time. It should have peak efficiency for the first year if stored in an airtight container indoors. The detergent may separate in the five gallon bucket. Simply mix well each time before pouring into your smaller regular use container!

      Reply
  13. Deb

    September 26, 2022 at 7:19 am

    5 stars
    I’ve been making this for years.
    I add lavender oil when it is cooled off.
    I now have another friend making it as well.

    Reply
    • Jessica

      September 26, 2022 at 2:40 pm

      That makes us so happy! Thanks for letting us know Deb!

      Reply
  14. Dahlia

    September 23, 2022 at 12:33 pm

    5 stars
    I would love to try this recipe. However, we can not use Borax due to allergies. Any suggestions on making it without the Borax?

    Reply
    • Jessica

      September 23, 2022 at 1:53 pm

      You could try subbing baking soda. I have never tried it before so I can’t guarantee results, but let us know if you try it.

      Reply
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Hey! We're Sarah and Jessica. We're BFF's and have known each other since we were 5 years old. This blog is our place to share all of our best recipes, tips, crafts and DIY projects.

You can read more about us on our about page and find us on instagram! We love making new friends.

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